Captive cap for collapsible tube



July 20, 1965 R. P. GARVER CAPTIVE CAP FOR GOLLAPSIBLE TUBE Original Filed 001;. 7, 1958 F/gJ 6 Ronald I? Garver INVENTOR.

2 BY @Zmw United States Patent "ice 3,195,790 CAPTIVE CAP FOR COLLAPSlELE TUBE Ronald P. Garver, Rte. 1, Rimershurg, Pa. Continuation of application Ser. No. 765,74d, Oct. 7, 1958. This application Ian. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 253,713 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-543) This invention relates to receptacle closures and, more particularly, to a collapsible tube cap.

This application is a continuation of patent application, Serial No. 765,746, filed October 7, 1958, now abandoned.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved cap for collapsible tubes, the cap possessing the feature of being inseparable from the neck of the tube so that it will not become lost.

Another object of the invention is to provide the combination of a tube neck having a lateral discharge opening controlled by the skirt of a cap carried by the neck with the cap being inseparable from the neck but movable a sutiicient distance to open and close the discharge opening in the side wall of the neck. By having the discharge opening in the side wall of the neck, substances from the collapsible tube, for instance toothpaste, are much more easily applied to the toothbrush head. With the cap constructed so that it cannot be separated from the neck, obvious advantages are obtained such as prevention of loss of the cap going down the drain or in any other way.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing: 7

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a cap and tube neck constructed in accordance with the invention;

FiG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view somewhat similar to FIG. 2 but showing the cap in the closed position; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of a stop used to prevent the cap from becoming completely separated from the neck of the tube.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, there is a collapsible tube 19 which may contain any substance. For purposes of convenience and since the inven tion has its principal, if not its exclusive, application in connection with toothpaste, the ensuing description shall be in relation to a tube of toothpaste. The collapsible tube has an externally threaded neck 12 with an end wall 14 which essentially closes the end of the neck. A lateral discharge opening 15 is in the side wall of neck 12, and it is through this opening that the toothpaste passes for application onto the bristles of a toothbrush.

(Zap if; has an end wall 26 which may have knurlings 22 on its periphery and which may be made of any shape. Cylindrical skirt 24 depends from end wall and is internally threaded to thread onto the neck 12. The location of the opening 16 is such that when the cap 18 is threaded to the open position (FIG. 2), the cap cylindrical side wall remains in engagement with a few of the threads on neck 12.

In order to assure that the cap 18 will not become separated from neck 12, rod 26 which may be made integral with wall 21 is used. This rod is on the longi- ?atented July 29, 1%65 tudinal central axis of the cap 12 and is concentric with the cylindrical side wall 24. An enlargement 28 functioning as a frusto-conical shaped stop and as a closure, is on the end of rod 26. The stop occupies the space within neck 12 and is adapted to be seated in opening 3i that is formed in the wall 14 when the cap is in its open position (FIG. 2). Opening St? has rod 26 passed through it so that the rod moves freely inwardly and outwardly of the neck 12 as the cap 18 is moved between its open and closed positions.

Cap 18 may be of any material suitable for the purpose. The preferred material, though, is plastic due to its low cost and compatability with molding techniques. For instance, the closure may be made of polystyrene or polyethylene With rod 2i: and stop 3i cast integral.

The stop 28 is made of polyethylene material. As shown in the drawing, the stop 2% is oval on its lower end or pear-shaped over its entire area. The stop 28 tapers downwardly and is only slightly larger than the diameter of the opening 30. The rod 26 spaces the stop 28 inwardly of the skirt 24, which is to say, the cap 13. By virtue of this arrangement and the slight resiliency of the material of which the stop 28 is formed, when the skirt 24, and, hence, the cap 18, is threaded partway down onto the neck 12 to the discharge opening 16, the stop 2% will, in response to such threading, be squeezed through the opening 39 into the neck 12 with a snap action while said discharge opening 39 is completely uncovered.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but it is understood that the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

In combination, a tube neck having a side wall, an end wall provided with an aperture and located at the end of said tube neck side wall, said tube neck side wall having external threads, said side wall having a discharge opening therein spaced from said end wall with at least some thread located between said discharge opening and said end wall, a closure cap having a cap end wall and a skirt provided with internal threads engaging the threads of said neck side wall, said cap being threadedly movable to positions which cover and uncover said discharge opening with said cap side wall remaining engaged at all times with the threads of said neck side wall and being thrcadedly movable partway onto said neck before covering said discharge opening, a solid rod integrally attached to the cap end wall and passed through the aperture in said neck end wall, said rod being substantially smaller in diameter than the diameter of said aperture which is, in turn, considerably smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of said neck, a frusto-conical shaped stop attached to said rod at its base and captive within the neck, said stop adapted to engage said tube end wall to prevent the cap from becoming separated from said neck and to act as a closure for said aperture, said stop being made of a material having the characteristics of polyethylene which is resilient, slightly larger than said aperture in the neck end wall, and dispose in said cap for snap action squeezing through the aperture in the neck end wall in response to threadedly moving said cap partway onto said neck, said stop engaging said neck end wall in response to turning said cap partway oil said neck, said :2 rod being shbrter than said cap skirt whereby said stop 2,053,456 Will engage said'neck end Wall in response to turning said 2,305,800 cap partway off said neck. 2,898,017 2,93 1,5 43 References Cited by the Examiner 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 354 787 1,567,084 12/25 Rose 222--546 X 1,580,069 4/26 Moreau 222543 1,763,3 16

4 Arnold 222546 Malick et a1. 222519 Redmond 2225 19 Thomas 222546 Italy.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

6/30 Miller 222543 10 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiner. 

